'I felt sick.' In first interview, wife of abused Gulf War veteran breaks silence on care aide's plea deal
Matthew Cox pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person- a class A misdemeanor.
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Speaking publicly for the first time, the wife of a disabled Gulf War veteran expressed deep disappointment after learning the nursing home aide caught on camera abusing her husband will not serve jail time.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 364 days in jail, but the court placed Cox on one year of interim probation instead.
For Albert O’Toole’s wife, Angela Sangro, the plea agreement came as a surprise.
"It definitely was disappointing. I thought that there would be something a little bit more of a punishment for the crime," Sangro told News 12. "I felt sick."
After learning about the plea deal, Sangro wrote a letter directly to Cox.
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"You've received probation, but there is no probation for Albert. There is no probation for me. There is no sentence that ends the memories of what I saw," she wrote.
Because her husband suffers from a traumatic brain injury and can no longer advocate for himself, Sangro says she will continue fighting to hold those responsible accountable.
"He may never be able to look into the camera and say, 'This happened to me.' So, I will say it for him," Sangro said. "He is a Marine. He is my husband. He is vulnerable. And he deserves better."
The plea follows a monthslong Turn to Tara investigation that exposed mistreatment inside a state-run nursing home. Hidden camera footage showed Cox grabbing O'Toole by the neck, striking him and hitting him in the head with a broom.
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The investigation sparked widespread public outrage, drawing responses from state lawmakers and the secretary of Veterans Affairs.
According to the Westchester District Attorney’s Office, if Cox violates the terms of his interim probation, he will retain the misdemeanor conviction and face three years of probation.
Sangro plans to meet with the Westchester District Attorney's Office this week to discuss how the plea deal was reached.
